A Sense Of Spaces

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18th March 2015

18th March 2015 by Daniella Quaglia Back to Clarke’s journal When we sell homes we

A Sense Of Spaces

18th March 2015 by Daniella Quaglia

Back to Clarke’s journal

luxury estate agents interior design

When we sell homes we pay attention to the five senses to make potential buyers feel at home. It’s one of the services we offer that is above and beyond what you expect from an estate agent. 

SOUND

Mr Clarke turned on the CD player at a home we sold recently and was mortified when Disney’s Frozen started blaring out. I suggested that we design a playlist for viewings and especially for Open House events. The idea is to create a calming soundtrack. It’s often a frantic and stressful time for people and most estate agents rush people around. By having some tunes on it can help people to relax and enjoy walking around a home.

Our favourites at the moment are Soak, Lucy Rose and Laura Marling. The sweet music at a low volume is just right to create a relaxed environment for making good decisions.

SCENT

We use plants, flowers, candles and even potpourri in order to freshen rooms and keep the homes we are selling feeling airy. Coffee and freshly baked bread are not for everyone and it’s a bit 1990s.

Plants and flowers bring both aesthetic and olfactory goodness to a room. I like all kinds of different types of geraniums, and picking out blue hyacinths and placing them in a big jar. By favouring biological sources of good smells, the aroma will evolve with the seasons and reflect a region: The most effective sources are natural purifiers such as beeswax candles and plants. As for keeping tricky areas such as the bathroom and kitchen smelling nice, remember not to try too hard with artificial fragrances or heavily scented candles—if these spaces are kept clean, a pleasant plant and a few spritzes of essential oil spray will keep the air fresh. Overall, your space should smell as you wish it to. Smells make a big impression on me and they sort of dictate a mood in a room.

TOUCH

Textiles and textures make a space feel more welcoming and give viewers a more comfortable experience.

Enhancing the tactile dimensions of a home can up the ante of the viewer’s experience. By having some soft throws on sofas, old linen bed sheets in the main bedroom and cushions on the garden furniture, you will make a house feel like a home ready to live in. 

SIGHT

The importance of natural light cannot be underestimated when selling a space. The appearance of a space can either gently beckon new homeowners or frighten them off. It’s not as simple as turning on all the lights. We think that gently lighting a space with lamps and opening doors and curtains makes a space more appealing.

Let in as much sunlight as possible through windows and avoid pitting artificial light sources against natural light. This is easy enough during spring and long summer days, it just takes a bit of preparation.

Cleanliness and a lack of clutter help visitors focus on what’s important. Minimalism is transparency—the goal is to make sure that nothing stands in the way between people and the vision they have of a home. We advise to give a home a personal touch, which separates minimalism from sterility: Plants and flowers will make a space feel like home.

TASTE

We are foodies so we often have some interesting food available when leading an Open House event. This not only pleases their eyes but their taste buds as well. Less is definitely more though— try to make sure the focus is on the raw ingredients. We had some beautiful local meat on a platter on the kitchen table last weekend with a little note about the producer. Food is an effective ingredient that always helps to enliven those human connections.


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